Carmel man groomed and sexually exploited teen

CARMEL, Ind. — A Carmel man took advantage of a vulnerable teenager and exploited him for sexual purposes. He will now spend nearly 23 years in federal prison.

Thomas Cade Martin, 27, pleaded guilty to distribution of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct and possession of child pornography. He also admitted to sexually exploiting a teenage girl, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana said.

A federal judge sentenced Martin to 275 months in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release during which Martin must register as a sex offender.

“Martin sexually abused and exploited a 15-year-old boy, after gaining his adoration and trust online. Taking advantage of vulnerable adolescents for sexual purposes is a despicable crime that deserves significant prison time,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Zachary A. Myers.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Carmel police began investigating Martin in late 2022 after receiving a report that Martin was exploiting a teenager. Martin allegedly met the victim on Grindr and lied about her identity and age.

Police said Martin groomed the victim, buying her gifts and taking her to dinner. Martin even bought the victim a birthday cake on her birthday.

When investigators searched Martin's phone, they discovered photographs of Martin and the victim taken during their multiple encounters.

“The sentence imposed today should serve as a warning to future offenders and offenders that if you solicit and exploit minors for sexual purposes, you will spend many years in federal prison,” Myers said.

In addition to Martin's sentence, he was ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution.

“The work done by everyone involved in Mr. Martin’s case demonstrates our commitment to protecting our most precious asset, our children. This type of heinous crime simply will not be tolerated,” said Carmel Police Chief Drake Sterling.

A booking photo of Thomas Martin has not been made available.